Microsoft just released the BETA version of Windows Live Essentials.

Windows Live Essentials consist a list of useful software by Microsoft like the Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Sync and more. It’s all under the Windows Live brand name. Also include is a new version of Windows Live Messenger.

I was curious so I downloaded the whole BETA version of Windows Live Essentials to check out what’s new and the big changes is the new Windows Live Messenger, an IM software that I always use. The contact list has changed, now added a sidebar showing all the social and status update. It can have Facebook and Myspace update there but I somehow couldn’t get it work. I can’t change my display name like before, it couldn’t fancy, it’s very standard with my first name and last name. I don’t like it. I like fancy display name. Add on and hacks of course are not working with the new Live Messenger BETA.

There’s tabbed conversation window but I prefer a separate one. Used it for like a few minutes, couldn’t get myself comfortable with the new one and I uninstalled it and install back the old Live Messenger. I believe this is not a final one, they will change, for sure. As for other essentials software, I didn’t try it though because I never use them.

Download the Windows Live Essentials here. Then share your experience. =D

Belkin has been famous in the router and modem for quite some time already and recently they have release a new lineup for their router, bring ing the new 802.11n to home and a redesigned of their modem.

With the new line up, they promote the idea of “Surf, Share and Play” at the same time, running on a simultaneous dual-band wireless N and the Play Max Routers deliver the best speed and performance for streaming HD Videos.

It also features Easy Start and Self-Healing which is for those who are not tech-conscious to go online and keep them surfing. So it’s good for your grandma or grandpa too. Another feature is there’s app built into the router like Print Genie, Music Movier and Daily DJ which utilized the USB ports and your external hard drive.

For torrent freak, there’s Torrent Genie which keep your file torrenting even if your computer is not switch on, it will just download into your external HDD which connected into the router.

These routers will be available starting mid July 2010. Pricing will be announced soon.

Check out full press release after the break.

IMO, routers are very important for home. Do not just get something cheap and can be used for yourself, get something good. I am running on wireless G and N network at the same time and soon will convert everything into N.

PRESS RELEASE

Belkin Presents a New Way of Thinking with the Introduction of Apps in New 802.11n Wireless Router Line

• Wireless routers feature Easy Start and Self-Healing to get people online and keep them surfing

• Innovative apps such as Print Genie, Music Mover™, and Daily DJ™ let them easily do the activities they want to do

• Simultaneous Dual-Band N Play and Play Max Routers deliver the best speed and performance for streaming HD videos

Kuala Lumpur, June 22, 2010 – With the explosion of online multimedia content, people are looking for new and richer experiences with their photos, music, and videos. Belkin’s new wireless routers are set to enable them to do so. Featuring fun and powerful applications, the Basic, Surf, Share and Play Max Wireless Routers enable them to play music, games, and HD videos as well as share photos and print wirelessly from anywhere in their home.

In a recent IDC survey, 72% of respondents own a digital still camera and use it often, so we can expect that more people will want to share their photos and videos in more places. According to Forrester, the digital music market in the US has grown to more than $3 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported that almost 1 million homes in 2008 eliminated their cable TV to rely solely on the Internet for video entertainment. In recognizing these burgeoning needs, Belkin aims to create richer multimedia experiences to empower people to do the activities they want.

With apps designed to enhance their wireless experience, Belkin’s new line of routers are easy to set up and maintain. The Self-Healing app automatically detects and resolves network problems and runs routine maintenance scans to give the clearest wireless channel.

The Share and Play Max Routers offer the Print Genie app allows wireless printing from any computer on the home network, while Memory Safe™ automatically backs up photos and files to an external hard drive (sold separately)—so people can rest assured that precious memories are protected.

With advanced Dual-Band N technology, Belkin’s Play Max Routers provide the best speed and performance. Simultaneous networks eliminate interference and allow optimal performance for media-intensive activities, such as streaming HD movies, gaming online, and downloading large media files.

Apps on Play Max let people to do more with their music. Music Mover can play their entire music library on smart devices, like the Xbox^® or PS3™, making their music just a touch away. The Daily DJ app serves up daily personalized playlists to match moods. By analyzing the musical DNA of a collection, Daily DJ creates playlists around three mood mixes: High-Energy, Steady Groove, and Kick Back. Playlists can also be created by choosing a song and letting Daily DJ offer a new take on their favorite music.

AVAILABILITY

Products will be available in all major IT stores starting mid July 2010.

QUOTES

Kurt Scherf, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Parks Associates:

“Belkin’s approach to studying user experiences and how people are interacting with their digital content is evident in how they’ve designed their new wireless routers. Features such as Easy Setup and its Music Mover app help people do the activities they want to do, and Belkin is communicating these benefits in a simple way such that people can understand.”

Jim Wagner, General Manager at Belkin:

“The explosion of digital content is heralding new opportunities, and this in itself is exciting. Using our consumer insight research, we learned that people want to do more with their photos, music, and videos throughout their home and across their network. Further, we found that while people had high aspirations for their network and media, unfortunately they were not buying routers capable of giving them the best of those experiences.

“With that in mind, we created a line of wireless routers based around the activities people want to do most. We made our Surf, Share, and Play Routers powerful enough to give great networking experiences, and we added easy-to-use apps to enable these activities. Now, even the most novice of consumer can create great experiences in their home and across their network.”

It’s Apple WWDC10 right now, happening at San Fransisco, lots of Apple update for the fans out there. I woke up today morning and prompted a system update on my Mac. After the update, I found out that my Safari has upgraded to latest version 5.

Apple is so much supporting the HTML5 platform right now and it’s one of the new feature in Safari 5. Another feature that worth to check it out is the Safari Reader, it allows you to read online articles in a continuous, clutter-free view.

My 2 cents: Frankly, I seldom use Safari browser on my Mac. I only use Safari on the iPhone, I still prefer other browser like the Firefox because there’s more add-on which enhance my surfing experience. Do you use Safari?

Do you feel annoying when people press the Nudge button on MSN? Frustration, annoying, that’s what comes back in your mind. I am not teaching you to revenge, (a little bit), but I am teaching you how to do more, Nudge when they Nudge you one time. I believe many people out there already know the tricks, but just of mind of sharing with those who still have no idea. It’s only a patch install into your computer which tricks MSN/Live Messenger to think that you surpass the waiting time for another Nudge.

There’s 2 way. One which doesn’t work for me, not sure about you, but you can try it. This was the way I uses long time ago, but it’s not working for me on my Windows 7, no idea why.

(1) Go to Apatch website, and (2) download Apatch, the file is very small. (3) Unzipped,and start patching. There’s other feature in Apatch, so you can check it out yourself, look for one which says (4) Remove Nudge Delay, and that’s the one which allow you to Nudge many many times.

Way number 2 is using a Script for Messenger Plus. Some people have Messenger Plus addon with their MSN and some don’t, I recommend this addon as with this, you can again, addon more stuff to your MSN. After (1) installing Messenger Plus for your MSN, or if you already have it, go (3) look for a Script called NudgesToolsScript. (4) Install the Script and remember to (5) enable it.

You are ready to Nudge(s). =)

Feeling bored looking at the original Wordpress theme of yours? Don’t get the ohm of writing when looking at your theme? Change it to something better!

I Googled online and found this Fluency dashboard theme that look the best for me, and still in search of something better. If you found, do share with me. Currently, I am liking my dashboard theme, very easy to install, download the plugin, upload it and activate it. Simple and fast.

Download here.

I need to test use for another month to see whether 500mb is enough for me or not. The only thing I must not do to make sure that I won’t use a lot of data is Youtube, as you know Youtube sucks a lot of data.

Unlike my old Nokia N95, there’s no data counter on the Android. But after some searching in the Market, I found an application that can shows how much data you have used and auto resets every month. It’s called NetSentry, better than NetCounter IMO.

I set 500MB data limit, so I assume there will be a notification when reaching the limit. Hopefully, 500MB is enough for me or Maxis must revise their data plan rate.

Scan the QR code with your Android barcode reader or click here to download.

It’s pretty interesting to see the Maxis Broadband Windshield Sunshade on the cars at PC Fair. They really spent a lot on marketing. I like the tag “My car is as cool as my blog”. Somehow, if you are choosing for a broadband, choose smart. You should check out my speedtest at PC Fair. =)

I found out that the most interesting part about Penang December PC Fair is not about booth babe because they don’t have any here, but it’s the broadband booth. After coming through the entrance and walk for about 2 minutes and you will find the broadband company booth all side by side.

It’s really a big broadband war inside, when you passed by,

1. P1 Wimax (4G), they will ask you to POTONG (means cut in Malay)
2. Streamyx (Copperline ADSL) will ask you to upgrade,
3. Digi Broadband (3G) will tell you they have got no contract and free modem,
4. Maxis Broadband (3G) will tell you broadband discount for postpaid user,
5. and Celcom Broadband (3G) will tell you, nothing, in fact they just keep shouting Celcom Broadband at me.

They set up their booth nicely and they got a lot of promoters! One broadband company has like more than 20 promoters and I guess they are fighting to see who has hired the most promoter. They just keep shouting and calling you to join and subscribe their network.

I am a Streamyx user and I will still stick with Streamyx, I only change if there’s alternative for wired Internet, perhaps a new company that provides FTTH 100Mbps package at less than RM100 per month, for sure I will potong (cut).

P1 Wimax has got a nice booth, free big paper bag, plenty of laptop for Internet surfing, a lot of promoters and (some) nice girls giving out balloons.

The promotion that is interesting is the GET 1 MONTH FREE AND RM160 DISCOUNT. Discount is always better than getting a free Wiggy (P1 prepaid wireless modem.

I speed test their machine and got a 2.4mbps speed. Not bad, I can’t find any P1 10mbps Wiggy to try though.

Next up is Digi Broadband booth, with a lot of yellow colour promoters but no free gift. I believe Digi Broadband is the best 3G broadband provider in Malaysia, with fast speed, good service, and good price when compare to Maxis and Celcom, the other two 3G broadband provider.

Their promotion in PC Fair is PAY RM88 FOR EXPLORE PLAN (NORMALLY RM108) AND GET A FREE MODEM. NO CONTRACT. The best of their promotion is no contract where P1 is contract based.

And I speed tested too, with P1’s speedtest site. It shows that it has a 1.9, almost 2mbps speed, still hardly reach maximum of 3.6mbps of HSPDA network. This is nice because it’s faster than my house 1.5mbps line.

Streamyx’s booth didn’t interest me, they have got many promoters, but not as many as Digi and P1 have. So I went to speed test again and they got the fastest speed. Showing a 3.4mbps download, which I believe is running on a 4mbps plan. I want this speed and I want to ugprade, but I don’t have cash, so I need more sponsors. Hehe.

I am so not interested in Celcom Broadband, have heard a lot of bad comment about their service. The promoters don’t know their things around.

When I tried to speed test, the speed test site can’t even load and they told me they have got a lot of customer using their network so it’s slow. I got fed up and didn’t even get to speed test after waiting for few minutes. FAILED.

Lastly, I went to Maxis Broadband booth, green is their colour and they have balloons too. Actually I am also a Maxis Broadband user, using a 500MB data plan on top of my mobile postpaid line. Since it’s limited and pretty expensive, I only use it on the phone and not tethering it.

The speed test sucks again, showing only 187kbps which is less than 3G speed. Another FAILED one, at least I successfully ran the speed test. Their explanation of the slowness is many laptop sharing the same connection via a router, there’s a point, but still lousy.

Which broadband provider do you use and what do you think about them?

Some people behind Twitter just released a bunch of photos of their new headquarter. Check it out.

Macs, I love.

Big canteen or is it discussion hall? I see no food around.

Lovely kitchen and lovely fridge.

Nice view too. Don’t know who that is.

More photos at their Flickr set.

[via]

I love Twitter, do you love Twitter? Follow me now @nicholaschan!

I am not sure any of you who uses Live Messenger (or more likely known as MSN Messenger) in Windows 7 have this problem but I am having it. I don’t know whether is the setting screw it up or is it just a bug.

I have my Live Messenger on as usual, everything is up, the contact windows and conversation windows are all hide nicely in the icon on Windows 7 start bar. Because of the integration of Live Messenger with Windows 7, there’s no more notification icon on your start bar at the clock area like in Vista or XP. So the problem is when I close all the Live Messenger windows, include the contact list, I can’t bring it back on. Assuming it’s fully closed, and logged out and everything, but it’s not. My friend still saw me online on their contact list but with “busy” status while on my side, I did not see any IM activity notification. I clicked on the Live Messenger icon, but it just nothing turned up and I had to end the process and restart the program.

Since Windows 7 is capable of running program in different OS mode, so I’ve decided to run my Live Messenger in XP mode and everything is doing fine now. Even if I closed all the windows, I still can access my contact list via the icon near the clock area. Great. Wonder anyone encounter this problem too?